JB #25

Jonathon Brooks

Running Back · Texas

A dynamic Texas running back whose promising start with Carolina has been derailed by two ACL tears in as many years.

Jonathon Brooks looked like a foundational piece of Carolina's backfield when the Panthers traded up to grab him in the second round, but his career has instead become a story of resilience through injury. A torn ACL in college was followed by a second ACL tear as a rookie, wiping out virtually his entire early NFL career.

★ Second-team All-Big 12 at Texas (2023)

★ 1,139 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in his lone season as Texas' lead back

Path to the league

Brooks broke out at Texas in 2023, his lone season as the lead back, rushing for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns on 187 carries while adding 25 catches for 286 yards, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors before a November ACL tear ended his college career. The Panthers traded up with the Colts to select him 46th overall in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Despite the injury history, Brooks' brief flashes have shown the explosive, versatile skill set that made him a top-50 pick, a between-the-tackles runner who also catches the ball well out of the backfield, though he has yet to have a full healthy NFL season to build on his college tape.

2025 season recap

Brooks played only three games as a rookie in 2024 before a season-ending non-contact ACL tear in his right knee against Philadelphia. He was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list in May 2025 and missed the entire 2025 season recovering from that second ACL tear, finishing his career to date with just 9 carries for 22 yards and 3 catches for 23 yards in the NFL.